Seeking advice please!

Hi ladies,

I have just joined this forum after hearing the devastating news that I suffer from diminished ovarian reserve and premature menopause. I just cant believe it and feel lost I got married just 4 months ago, living happily with my husband with whom I would so love to have a baby. Now I am extremely upset and disappointed and cant stop crying. I would be grateful to hear your thoughts and advices as how I could deal with this.

I am 34 years old. My AMH is 1.5 pmol and last blood test showed FSH level at 20. Scan showed that 1 of my ovaries contains two follicles whereas the other one is empty No info on size or quality of the 2 follicles.

My cycle is irregular and my FSH level keeps fluctuating. It once read 100 then 50 then 35, went down to 16 and now up again at 20.

NHS refused giving me an IVF cycle cause my FSH is too high, their cutoff is 12. Dr said that its pretty much useless to try IVF and advised to seek egg donation but this is not an option I could consider for religious reasons

Anyone here struggling with the same conditions high FSH/low AMH? I was advised to take contraceptive pill to lower FSH but others have warned me that this could mess up my already messed up hormones. Has anyone tried this before?

I had a consultation with a fertility acupuncture specialist who claimed that acupuncture could help regulate my cycle and lower FSH besides improving egg quality. Has anyone managed to get their FSH level lowered though acupuncture and Chinese herbs or DHEA?

Hi and welcome to the forum.
I cannot advise as I am (no one here is- as far as I know!) a doctor, but I feel your pain.

I would not take anything without talking to a consultant first. Taking the pill will only artificially lower your FSH because the pill contains estrogen, which your body would produce naturally. It would not help your response to the IVF drugs.

I am in the same position as you.

Unfortunately nothing can reverse premature menopause or give you back your ovarian reserve. And I have tried, believe me, wasting lots of money. Low AMH alone or high FSH alone are sometimes ignored by some clinics, where they suggest some of the treatments you mention in your post.
Both together, high fsh and low amh with a premature menopause diagnosis are not a good sign regarding your fertility. IVF would be 'useless' as your doctor said, because your ovaries won't respond to the drugs. IVF stimulating drugs are basically high doses FSH, which would make your 'eggs' grow. Your body already has high FSH naturally because your ovaries don't respond to it any longer and are not making enough estrogen to lower the natural FSH because of your low ovarian reserve. Your growing 'eggs' would make the estrogen which would lower your FSH. Giving you more hormones would have no effect.
The fertility acupuncturist, or anyone else will not be able to change this.

All the things you mentioned can improve things in certain circumstances. The only other option I can suggest is to save and try to go private and see a different fertility consultant to see what they will say to you.
I used the argc in London, where they would look at you, regardless of their AMH.

Sorry if I sound negative but having been in the same position as you I don't want to give you false hope. It is better to be prepared. As I said earlier I am not a doctor, I am only talking using my experience.

Try and be strong, take one day at the time and before you take anything or make any decision, see another consultant.

I am so sorry to read your story. I just wanted to say that my husband and I were in the same boat in that we found out just six weeks after getting married that we would never conceive naturally. He is azoospermic. It is devastating news and it is understandable that you feel lost and upset. Do consider some counselling. It has saved my sanity on more than one occasion.

I can only recommend that you go and see the best person you can afford to. At least that way you can get a second opinion.